Wagon end-gate



(No Model.)

J. WINDLER, Jr. 8; L. WINDLER.

WAGON END GATE.

No. 587,566. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN \VINDLER, JR., AND LOUIS \VINDLER, OF CANTON, KANSAS.

WAGON END-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,566, dated August 3, 1897.

Application filed March 2, 1897. Serial No. 625,792. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN \VINDLER, Jr., and LOUIS WINDLER, of Canton, McPherson county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVagon End- Gates, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forminga part thereof.

Our invention relates to en d-boards or tailgates for wagons; and it consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple, strong, durable; and inexpensive endgate which may be quickly and easily placed in or removed from operative position and which, when placed in operative position, may be depended upon to maintain its position.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, we will proceed to describe it with reference to the said accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a rear view of awagonbody provided with an end-board or tail-gate embodying ourinvention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the same and by dotted lines indicates the manner of placing the board or gate in or removing it from position.

In the said drawings, 1 designates the bottom, and 2 the side-boards, of a wagon.

3 3 designate parallel cleats which are secured to the inner sides of the wagon-body at its rear end, so as to form grooves between them.

The board or gate is constructed on the break-joint principlethat is to say, it comprises, by preference, a short section 4 and a long section 5, hinged together at their inner sides, as shown at 6. The section 4 externally carries a rigid extension or arm '7, which, when the gate is in its operative position, overlaps and bears squarely against the face of the section 5. It preferably tapers nearly to a point and is provided with a handle 8 of the construction shown or any other suitable or preferred construction. To the right of said handle it is provided with an angle-plate 9, provided with a notch 10,- so as to perform the function of alatch-plate.

At its extreme end and to the right of the plate 9 it is provided with a wear-plate ll.

2 designates a vertical strip or bar which is secured externally to the section 5 and adjacent to the diminished end of the arm 7 when the gate is closed.

13 designates a plate secured thereto, and 14 a curved or segmental guide-loop which is mounted upon said plate.

15 designates a pivot-pin arranged about concentrically of said curved loop.

16 designates a lever, of spring metal by preference. It is pivotally mounted upon the pin 15 and extends through said guideloop and engages when the gate is closed, as shown, the notch of the latch-plate 9.

Assuming that the end-board or tail-gate is in operative position, to remove it it is necessary for the operator to grasp the handle 8 and the lever 16 and pull or spring the latter slightly outward, so as to disengage it from the latch-plate. It is then swungupwardly entirely out of the way of the extension or arm 7 and at the same moment the operator pulls rearwardly upon the handle Sand breaks the joint between the sections 4 and 5, as shown in dotted lines, 2. By continuing such pull the end-board or tail-gate is easily and quickly removed from the wagon. To resecure it in position, one end is preferably inserted in its respective groove between the cleats 3 at its corresponding end and the opposite end is arranged opposite the other groove. The operator then, by pushing inward on the arm or extension 7 causes the last-named end to enter its groove and the sections to assume the positions shown in full lines.

The contact of the cxtension or arm 7 with the rear end of the section 5 entirely obviates any possibility of straining the hinge 6 by too great a pressure because of its extended bearing upon said section. The lever is then swung downwardly and by engagement with the inclined wall 9 of the latch-plate is sprung outwardly. As it clears said wall it springs back into the notch 10 and reliably maintains such position, as only a directly-applied force, such as a direct pull upon the end of the lever, is sufficient to disengage it from said notch. 1

From the above description it will be ap parent that we haveproduced an end-board or tail-gate which embodies the features of advantage enumerated in the statement 01. invention.

It is to be understood of course that slight changes in the detail construction or arrangement will not be considered a departure from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described the invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with a wagon, provided with vertical cleats at its inner sides, a breakjoint end-board or tail-gate, comprising two sections hinged together at their inner sides, and adapted to project into the grooves between said cleats at their ends, a rigid arm projecting from the rear side of one of said JOHN WINDLER, JR. LOUIS WINDLER.

W'itnesses:

JAKE FARVER, I. C. KALB. 

